Guest Post: Tea Party

Hello everyone! Thanks, Melissa, for giving me this opportunity to do my FIRST guest post! I’ve been cooking for years now, and it wasn’t until recently my friends and family convinced me to do a blog so they could see what I’m cooking. So that’s when I started Cookin’ for my Captain. Me and my husband have been married for 8 years and we have 2 beautiful (and red-headed) children. My husband is in the Army and we’re currently stationed in Missouri, my “home” state. I’m a SAHM (Stay-at-home-mom) but stay really busy with sports, parties and my army-wife things. I don’t have “professional” culinary educational background, but I learn quickly through just going straight in. I don’t do step-by-step pictures, it’s hard enough just to cook, but I always try to get a beautiful picture of the finished product. And sometimes, it’s just not “pretty” at all…and I’ll save the horror of the picture, but let ya know it’s still wonderful.

I had to really think what I wanted to “guest blog” about since Melissa just said anything. So I decided to write about my tea-parties. For Mother’s day, I invited a few of my close friends over for “tea and crumpets.” This was also my “dry-run” for my daughters (her idea) “Butterfly Birthday Tea-Party.”
There are so many ways to do this, but I’ll show you what works for me.

THE LIST

FOOD: Cookie bits, chocolate covered strawberries, strawberry scones. Tea cups with saucers and a tea pot, preferably on a warmer. Spoons for stirring. Cups of sugar and creamer. Have a variety of teas to choose from.

DÉCOR: Lace, lace, and more lace. I found antique items and big candles. Old jewelry box with pearls, rings and pendants and sea shells also add a bit of detail that ties everything together.

TREATS: Decorate derby hats—feathers, silk flowers, tulle, safety pins, straight pins, lace ribbon
~Keep in mind your background. My back porch is cornered between the house and shed, so I hung lace tablecloths over and around to camouflage them. Always think about what’s in the background of you pictures!
~My husband bought me a “plant” for Mother’s Day. It was a pot full of lavender, peppermint and pineapple mint. Bundle a few leaves together and put it in a tea steeper—fresh tea just for you! It also impresses the guests!
~The recipes can be found on my blog, except the chocolate covered strawberries (pretty simple to figure out)
~I’ve been collecting tea cups and saucers for a while now. Every time I go into a goodwill or thrift store and see what I can find. This is better than trying to find all matching ones. It really comes together in the end, giving it a very eclectic look. Not to mention it’s cheaper that way. You could always have your guests bring one, but I think it’s more fun when you provide.

THE FOOD

For my daughter’s birthday party, the girls are going to decorate their own hats. Make sure you have an adult to handle the hot glue or pins. Keep it simple for the girls, or they might lose interest. Also do this first, so they can wear the hats during the party. It always helps having a few examples for them to see.

This is my hat I put together. It was a bunch of fun to make!

So have a wonderful tea-party! Most important thing: stay calm and relaxed. It’s supposed to be fun, for your guests AND you. Be prepared as well. Have an extra tea cup set just in case one breaks, safety pins for an accidently clothing malfunction, or whatever you foresee that might happen.

Please stop by my blog and leave me a message if you have any questions on what I did or if you need more ideas.

Love, Carolyn